This lesson is designed for those struggling readers who need added support in how to use the sounds they have become dependent on for decoding. I have found that by fourth grade many students only rely on their sounds to decode unknown words. This becomes more difficult as the words become longer and more complex.

With the sound decoding being the go to strategy for many intensive readers, it is helpful to give them the Flip the Sound Strategy to make more use of the sounds they know. It also pushes them to think about those word parts and how it can make a difference in their decoding. As they become better at using and find success with Flip the Sound they make an easy transition into using the strategy of chunking. Students with disabilities often just need the confidence and the gratification of being successful and this strategy is a great place to start in order to build this.

Struggling Readers

Students with Disabilities: Struggling Readers

Reading Strategy: Flip the Sound

Reading Strategy: Flip the Sound

Unit 1: Reading Strategies: Beginning of the Year
Lesson 15 of 15

Objective: SWBAT use their knowledge of vowel sounds to determine which sound to use to decode an unknown word.

Big Idea:
This lesson can seem like a review for many students, but it can be very important to review a strategy that students should be trying to do automatically. This lesson feels easy for students and more fun because of how high their confidence is.

To open the lesson we begin by reviewing. Today I was losing my voice so having students model and teach was helpful and fun. I asked students to act out their strategy for the class. Then explain the steps they used while modeling for us. The harder strategies might be too difficult for most of them to act out and it also might take to long to review. I chose four strategies that I had seen students use regularly. For each strategy, I had two students model them.

Resources (2)

Resources

Once the acting is complete, I write the new strategy onto the board, Flip the Sound. This will be the new strategy and I am going to show them how fun it can be. I use a small white board and write the word cake on it. I then ask them to figure out which letter in the word has two sounds. Believe it or not this might just stump a few.

I read the following book to model how I can use Flip the Sound to help me decode unknown words. To begin, I only model the first few pages using vowel sounds only. Then as I move through the book I ask the students to help me with flipping the sound. I continue to read, but find some words where I can use blends, and other consonant patterns to try different sounds. I want students to understand that flipping can be with consonants too. It might be beneficial to stop and show this with the letter c, since it makes more than one sound.

We continue to read and practice. I will also model rereading and checking for understanding. I do this so they can see that even when I use Flip the Sound, I can use other strategies to help me comprehend.

Now it is my students turn to practice. I find that this can be done in partners. Students will work together using each other's books to look for words where they can practice flipping the sound. To practice I am looking for just the effort in practicing how to flip the sound.

This is a harder strategy to practice naturally because not every student will need help decoding a word right away in the time we have to practice. I do believe that student are more likely to use and try the strategy out if given time to try it out in any form. I walk around and point out words or have them show me words that they have practiced flipping the sound in. I try to check in with every student to see that they get the gist of the strategy.